Fort Collins man accused of molesting 8-year-old boy

Feb. 27, 2014

Nicholas Henshaw

Written by

A Fort Collins man remains jailed on charges he repeatedly sexually assaulted a neighbor’s young son.

Police arrested Nicholas Henshaw on Monday following a monthslong investigation. Many details of the case against Henshaw remain secret due to the nature of the accusations and the age of the boy.

Henshaw, 38, faces a single count of sex assault by one in a position of trust.

“This is a dangerous man. My son is in danger,” the 8-year-old boy’s father said in court Wednesday afternoon. The Coloradoan is withholding his identity to protect his son’s identity.

During a short appearance via video from jail, Henshaw spoke only to answer questions from Magistrate Matthew Zehe. Henshaw is being held on $50,000 bond and has been ordered to stay away from children if released.

In a 10-page sworn statement, Fort Collins police said Henshaw’s own family members said he has a history of molesting young boys, although he’s never previously been charged. One witness against Henshaw is his ex-wife, who said she once found pictures of naked boys on his computer. Another witness is his brother, police said, who reported that Henshaw molested their younger siblings.

According to police, at least one young boy said Henshaw molested him on trips to Glenwood Springs and Yellowstone National Park. Other possible victims are discussed in the sworn statement, but heavy redaction by court clerks makes it difficult to determine the exact nature of those allegations. One boy said he and Henshaw bathed naked together and shared a bed on trips.

Police in court records said other investigations into Henshaw in California indicated he had molested multiple other boys, sometimes while they slept, but was never prosecuted because the children refused to come forward. Police said at least one of those incidents in California occurred while Henshaw was working as a youth minister.

Zehe refused to reduce Henshaw’s bond, but also declined to raise it, citing the right to bail: “His bond has been set unusually high, if that gives you any confidence,” he told the boy’s father.